MAO LEGENDÁS ALBUMOK | SHORTY ROGERS: THE SWINGING MR. ROGERS

In the Legendary Albums series, the Modern Art Orchestra performs material from albums of particular significance to jazz history. The concerts are not only a tribute to jazz legends and their works - the workshop behind the Legendary Albums is also a process of development. The musicians of the MAO study and internalise all of the current album material, leaving the musical structures and instrumentation intact for the performances. As improvisation and soloistic expression are essential components of the jazz language, the musicians naturally perform improvised solos at the concerts. Thanks to the respect for original compositions and orchestrations and the improvisations of musicians of the quality that the Modern Art Orchestra is known for, the Legendary Albums bring listeners into contact with the tradition of jazz masterpieces and guarantee a fresh musical experience.

MAO Legendary Albums | Shorty Rogers: The Swinging Mr. Rogers

Rogers' 1955 album is emblematic of the West Coast style, and the trumpeter is a key figure in it. The title and the lyrics on the cover tell us that there is no esotericism or experimentation here, it's hot as it is. Rogers has also made lasting arrangements as a member of the Woody Herman and Stan Kenton big bands before, and his telling debut album as a composer is called Cool and Crazy. The West Coast is backwards dense, intense and supremely witty. The quintet was formed from the stars of California's most famous club, Lighthouse, and years of experience have provided the backdrop for this studio album. Jimmy Guiffre also plays clarinet in the Giants quintet, but at the time he was mainly playing saxophone, only later making the clarinet important in modern jazz. No less giant is drummer Shelly Manne, who with one or two cymbal or drum beats almost instantly sends the whole band flying. Pianist Pete Jolly, who has some superb solos here, got into the band by jamming at the Lighthouse, and later played with Art Pepper and Chet Baker. Like Jolly, the excellent bassist Curtis Counce had his own band from 1956 onwards.

They play three evergreens and the other five are all great Rogers compositions, with "Martians Go Home" being one of the hits on the album. Rogers and company were able to stretch the expressions of jazz in this track, or in their stuttering reprise of the slow Isn't it Romantic, for example, by inserting witty and never forced musical surprises.